The national reservoir fill rate has reached 49.44%, thanks to the significant rainfall recorded recently, announced Nizar Baraka, Minister of Equipment and Water, on Tuesday in the House of Councillors. Responding to a series of questions on the theme «Management and Enhancement of Water Resources in Light of Recent Rain and Snowfall», the minister emphasized that «this notable rate hasn't been achieved in several years», noting that reservoirs currently hold 6.61 billion cubic meters of water, in addition to 280 million cubic meters collected in new dams built since 2022. Baraka highlighted that contributions from rain and snowfall to the reservoirs—from last September to date—totaled 3.785 billion cubic meters, detailing that the Loukkos basin recorded 448 million m³, while the Moulouya and Sebou basins received 450 million m³ and 1.16 billion m³, respectively. As for individual reservoirs, Al Wahda dam holds over 2 billion m³, compared to 580 million m³ in Oum Errbia, 81 million m³ in Tensift, 139 million m³ in Souss-Massa, 284 million m³ in Drâa-Oued Noun, and 275 million m³ in the Guir-Ziz-Rheris basin. In this context, the minister stated that Morocco has moved from a situation of severe water stress to moderate stress, thanks to the recent rains. However, he noted that rainfall levels remain 25% below the seasonal average. He further indicated that, despite a 45% improvement in water inflows compared to the previous period, overall water resources are still 58% below usual levels. On the issue of enhancing these resources, Baraka assured that the recent rainfall has secured Morocco's drinking water supply for at least the next year and a half. He added, «The concerns that loomed over water management this summer have now been lifted for all hydraulic basins—except for the southern provinces, which are facing a specific situation». These water inputs will also allow for additional volumes dedicated to agricultural irrigation, he added. The minister also noted that the construction of desalination plants is progressing steadily, with a current capacity exceeding 300 million cubic meters, thanks to joint efforts by the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) and the OCP Group.
